Condiment and toothpick holder and dispenser



Nov. 27, 1956 1.. A. SMITH CDNDINEN'T AND TooTEPIcK HOLDER AND DISPENSERFiled Nov. 4, 1952 INVENTOR ATTORYE YS United States Patentl CONDIMENTAND TOOTHPICK HOLDER AND DISPENSER Lloyd A. Smith, Arlington, Va.

Application November 4, 1952, Serial No. 318,603

1 Claim. (Cl. 221-282) This invention relates to a condiment andtoothpick holder and dispenser and is an improvement over theconstruction shown in my copending application, Serial No. 269,826,filed February 4, 1952, for Condiment and Toothpick Holder andDispenser.

An object of this invention is to provide in a condiment dispenserformed of a pair of upright receptacles having spaced confronting innerwalls, a toothpick holder and dispenser which in the inoperativeposition thereof is frictionally held in an upright position between theconfronting walls, and which is swingable downwardly to an operative ordispensing position.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved means forretaining the toothpicks in the holder including a pair of resilientclips whereby the toothpicks may be removed one at a time.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a dispenser of thiskind an improved means for releasably locking the toothpick dispenserand holder between the condiment dispenser.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in thedrawing and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in theappended claim.

In the drawing,

Figure l is a plan view of a combined condiment and toothpick holder anddispenser constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure1, showing the toothpick holder in dispensing position,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure2,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 5--5 ofFigure 3,

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 10 and 11 designate generally apair of upstanding condiment dispensers which are provided with parallelinner walls 12 and 13 forming a chamber within which the toothpickholder generally designated as 14 is adapted to frictionally engage whenthe latter is in inoperative or closed position.

The device includes a base 15 which is common to the two dispensers 10and 11 and also forms a base for the toothpick holder 14.

A vertical connecting wall 16 connects the inner walls 12 and 13together and forms a closure for the open upper edge of the toothpickholder. The toothpick holder 14 comprises opposite side walls 17, aconnecting wall 18, and upper and lower walls 19 and 20 respectively.The side walls 17 are each provided with a relatively deep arcuatecutout 21 providing an entrance whereby the toothpicks disposed withinthe holder 14 may be readily withdrawn.

2,772,024 .'Raented j. l 956 Theholder 14 also 1includes a pairAoffs-mds 22extending from the sidewalls 17 andthe studs-22 slidablyengage invertical channels -or grooves 23 and 24 which V`are tormedinthe inner walls 12 and 13 respectively.

In order to provide a means whereby toothpicks within the holder 14 willbe held in a manner whereby the toothpicks will not spill out of theholder 14 when the latter is elevated to a closed inoperative position,I have provided a pair of U-shaped clips 25 which engage in channels 26formed in the inner sides of the side walls 17 at a point outwardly fromthe cutout 21. The clips 25 include vertical sides 27 which are formedat their upper ends with inwardly bent resilient fingers 28, and theiin? gers 28 are outwardly bent as indicated at 29. The lingers 28 arenormally disposed in substantially contacting relation but will spreadapart when a toothpick is pulled upwardly therebetween.

In the use and operation of this device, the toothpicks may be insertedwithin the holder 14 through the upper open edge thereof by insertingthe toothpicks within the clips 25. These clips 25 may, if desired, beremoved during the filling operation. When the holder 14 is inoperativethe holder will be disposed in a vertical position, as shown in Figure2, and at this time connecting wall 16 will close the open edges of theholder 14. The walls 12 and 13 will frictionally hold the holder 14 inits inoperative position. The toothpicks may be removed by swinging theholder downwardly by grasping the lug 30 which is carried by the topwall 19. The holder 14 is swung downwardly to the position shown inFigure 3, whereupon the toothpicks may be readily removed one at a timeby pulling the toothpicks upwardly past the resilient fingers 28. Thisdevice is adapted to be constructed of plastic material which may beeither transparent or colored.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of constructionherein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview ofthe appended claim.

What I claim is:

A toothpick holder comprising a base having a pair of elongated spacedparallel and confronting vertically extending side walls, an end wallconnecting a pair of adja cent longitudinal edges of said side walls,each of said side Walls having a vertically extending guide slot formedtherein adjacent their respective other confronting longitudinal edges,said slots extending downwardly from the upper ends of said side wallsand terminating adjacent the other ends thereof, a substantiallyrectangular container having oppositely disposed spaced andsubstantially parallel side walls, top and bottom walls, and an end wallconfronting an oppositely disposed open end, said last named side wallseach having an arcuate cut-out formed therein and extending inwardlyfrom said open end, a channel formed in each of the confronting surfacesof said last named side walls adjacent said top wall, a channel formedin each of the confronting surfaces of said last named side wallsadjacent said bottom wall, a resilient U-shaped clip member having thearms thereof disposed within said channels adjacent said top wall withthe bight thereof engaging said last named end wall, a second resilientU-shaped clip member having the arms thereof disposed within saidchannels disposed adjacent said bottom wall with the bight thereofengaging said end wall, each of said clip members having the free endsof their respective arms bent in a converging direction, and a pinprojecting laterally from the remote surfaces of each of said last namedside walls, said pins being slidably engaged within said slots andforming pivot means for said receptacle, said pins being disposedadjacent said bottom wall.

Ice

(References on following page) Y Hale Jan. 9, 1900 ,'Haynes Oct. 9,l1900 'i Hawkins May 19', 1908 Fisher Nov: 21, 1911 VMaloy Dec. 7, 1920

